Looking for Squares: The goal of this
lesson is for students to develop an early understanding of the concept
of square root as the length of a side of a square. They begin by finding
the area of a square and looking at the dimensions. Students work in pairs
to find as many squares as possible that will fit in a 5x5 grid. Finding
areas for squares that are not vertical to the grid is perplexing to some
students. Those who have mastered the strategy share their procedure and
mathematical reasoning with the class. Together the class determines the
relationship between area and side length using a variety of examples
beginning with area, then beginning with side length. The teacher assesses
their strategy and introduces the term square root relating the length
of a side to the area of a square. A student inquires about odd numbers
and numbers like five, which leads the class into an investigation of
estimation strategies for finding square roots.

Middle Grades
MATH Thematics:The STEM Project: Body Ratios

Content Strand: Number

Teacher:Cary Tuckey

School:
North Kirkwood Middle School
Kirkwood, MO
Grade 6

Project Director:Jim Williamson

45 minutes

Body Ratios:"Twice round
the thumb is once round the wrist," said the Lilliputians in Gulliver's
Travels. Students here investigate whether or not the Lilliputians, who
used this ratio to make a shirt for the giant Gulliver, were right. The
lesson demonstrates the integrated approach to mathematics that the MATH
Thematics Curriculum takes, with students using and gaining knowledge
and skills in number sense, ratios, fractions, measurement, making predications,
analysis, and geometric concepts. After exploring and interpreting several
different body ratios, students determine how tall Gulliver would be if
a Lilliputian's average height were that of a sixth grader. The lesson
extends to the outdoors, where students make a life-size outline of a
shirt for Gulliver.